<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Graduation pangs by MorganBaggins</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139874">Graduation pangs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganBaggins/pseuds/MorganBaggins'>MorganBaggins</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Ronan and Blue are mentioned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:35:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,093</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26139874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganBaggins/pseuds/MorganBaggins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the last day of senior year at Aglionby Academy, and Gansey has feelings.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Gansey Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Graduation pangs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another short fic for Gansey week 2020: Prompt = Aglionby / lonely / as you walk away.<br/>A bit of happiness at the end because I couldn't stand to leave Gansey sad and lonely.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunlight fell across Aglionby Academy as students hurried from the buildings, ready for summer. Laughter and cheers mingled with the roar of car engines. Some students hurried to their cars, ready to leave school behind. Others lingered, savoring their final moments on Aglionby grounds. </p>
<p>Gansey was the second kind. He stopped beside his orange Camaro as a Porsche sped past with a loud roar, leaving skid marks behind. He supposed Ronan would have been like that, if Ronan had even bothered showing up. </p>
<p>“I guess this is it,” Adam said from a few feet behind. He gripped the handles of his bike and walked it closer to Gansey. “The big goodbye.”</p>
<p>“What?” Gansey asked, unable to keep the panic from his voice. What big goodbye? Now that school was over, did Adam not want to see him again? “We’re still meeting tonight, right?”</p>
<p>Adam gave Gansey a look that was equal parts reassurance and exasperation. “I meant to Aglionby.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Gansey rolled up the sleeves of his raven sweater, just the slightest bit, letting the air cool his wrists and his nerves. “I guess so. It feels weird without them, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>Adam shrugged. “Ronan outgrew this place long ago. And Blue doesn’t go here.”</p>
<p>Gansey frowned. He hadn’t been thinking about Blue, had he? He felt like there was someone else who should be here, but the more he tried to grasp who he had been thinking of, the more they floated away, a ghost of a thought. </p>
<p>“We’ll see them tonight.” Adam climbed onto his bike. “Nino’s at six, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but tell Ronan five-thirty,” Gansey replied. “I made a comment about him being punctual the other day and he’s been late for everything since.”</p>
<p>Adam shook his head, bucked his helmet under his chin, and waved at Gansey before peddling down the parking lot, away from Gansey and Aglionby and all the memories they shared.</p>
<p>With a sigh, Gansey turned back to the school, gazing fondly at the front steps of Whitman House. His first day here felt like a lifetime ago. It was, technically, a literal lifetime ago, considering he’d died between then and now. When he’d arrived, he hadn’t imagined growing so attached to a place, or to the people in it. </p>
<p>There were not many things in life that Gansey was afraid of. Wasps, bees, hornets - things that sting and could kill him in an instant were top of the list. Goodbyes were second. Or perhaps  hornets were secondary to goodbyes, since death was the ultimate goodbye, the ultimate ending. </p>
<p>Why were endings so painful? Gansey felt a tug on his heart as he leaned deeper against the side of his car, bringing his thumb to his lower lip. He felt like he’d lost a lot lately, but when he tried to think of what, exactly, was missing, he couldn’t answer. </p>
<p>He watched the parking lot empty around him as his classmates congratulated on another or made plans for the summer and headed to their cars. Would he ever see these people again? When he was old with hundreds of thousands of new memories, would he even remember who was nice to him in the hallways or who sat next to him in class? Of course he would, because he was Richard Campell Gansey III and he remembered people. But would the others remember him? Surely Ronan and Adam would. Their lives had intertwined in too many extraordinary ways for them to forget him entirely, but how important would he be when they no longer shared this part of their lives? When they no longer had classes together? When they had an entire world of friends to choose from. Would he be a mere memory brought up occasionally over dinner - remember Gansey? I wonder what he’s up to these days? I haven’t heard from him in ages! - or would he continue to be a part of their lives? How would that work, when he was halfway across the world and Adam was away at college and Ronan was on whatever reckless adventure he chose next? </p>
<p>Gansey’s heart clenched at the thought of his friends so far away, so distant. How often would they speak? Once a month? Once a week? Surely more than once a year?</p>
<p>“What’s up Gansey Man?” Henry Cheng slid up beside Gansey and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Why so glum, alum?”</p>
<p>Gansey felt the weight from his chest lift a little as he turned his attention away from the building that held so many good memories to his friend at his side. “I’m just thinking,” Gansey said, “- about how much I’ll miss this place.” </p>
<p>“This fancy shit hole?” Henry snorted. “What’s to miss? The stress? The pressure? Exams? Overly pretentious field days and charity events? It’s high school, man. Be glad you made it through!”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay,” Gansey waved a hand dismissively as a smile crossed his lips. It was short lived as he added, “But, my friends-”</p>
<p>“You’re going to have a lot better memories with your friends outside of these walls than in them,” said Henry. “Trust me. Venezuela, Paris, - wherever you want to go! The world is ours now! We’ve got a trip to finish planning!”</p>
<p>Gansey nodded. As Henry rambled on about some new travel blogger he found, Gansey felt himself relaxing. Just because his time at Aglionby was over, didn’t mean his friendships were ending too. </p>
<p>As the parking lot emptied further, Henry slipped on a pair of designer sunglasses, loosened his tie and threw his fists towards the sky. “We’re free, baby! Free!” He brought a fist back down and held it out in Gansey’s direction. </p>
<p>Gansey realized too late that Henry was going for a fist bump. By the time Gansey had made a fist, Henry was already shaking his head and walking away. </p>
<p>Gansey watched him disappear behind a row of cars, before he opened the driver's side door of The Pig. He put his keys in the ignition and it roared to life. He sat there for several long seconds, thinking about what Henry said, about the memories he and his friends would make outside of Aglionby. He thought about what Adam said about Ronan: he had outgrown this place. Maybe Gansey had too. </p>
<p>But he hadn’t outgrown his friends. </p>
<p>He would never outgrow his friends. </p>
<p>This wasn’t goodbye. This was another step in life’s grand adventure. </p>
<p>With a genuine smile, Gansey leaned back in the driver's seat and turned on to the open road, leaving the gates of Aglionby Academy behind.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>